In response to the overwhelming reaction to their report on concussions among high school girls playing soccer, “Rock Center’s” Kate Snow goes to New Jersey, Florida, Texas and California to dig deeper into the danger, and the psyche of these young girls and their families. Many have responded to the risk by wearing special headgear advertised as protecting against concussions, but Snow discovers that the reality may be very different. It’s a piece of reporting no parent should miss. (VIDEO PREVIEW LINK IS BELOW )
Rock Center With Brian Williams will air this episode tonight as the new season begins at 10EST/9CST. It will bring up the physics of concussion, and how the headgear is supposed to work and the potential problems of that logic. Here is an excerpt from the associated print preview;
For Helmick, the head guard gave her family confidence that she was being better protected from head injuries, but she suffered at least five concussions while wearing the headband. A star player in Texas, she was sidelined over a year ago. Leading concussion experts say that there is no convincing evidence that head gear prevents concussions.
“My problem with the headbands is that they’re primarily marketed as a concussion-reduction device. That is something that there is no proof that they are,” said Dr. Bob Cantu, a neurosurgeon and leading concussion researcher.
Cantu is one of a dozen leading concussion experts that told Rock Center that there is no convincing scientific evidence that wearing head gear on the soccer field prevents concussions. They said that it might prevent cuts and bruises.
Skeen, the maker of the Full 90 head gear, disputes those claims. He stands by his products and says that that two independent studies support his product.
Tune in tonight to see!
The Concussion Blog 